The winter when Wu Jianshuo's tenth year passed to his eleventh year was not cold. There were only a few light snowfalls in the south of the Yangtze River. In February of the eleventh year, a rare cold wave came suddenly, as if to make up for the absence of winter, and descended on the Central Plains.
Unlike most places in the Wu Dynasty, it was only the beginning of mid-February for a few days. From night to dawn, thick frost had formed under the eaves and trees.
Many flower buds and tree buds froze to death overnight.
This rare late-spring cold lasted for several days, but the pace of the war did not slow down in the south of the Yangtze River. On February 18th, near Danyang, southeast of Zhenjiang, Wu Dynasty general Lu Haifeng gathered more than 200,000 troops to besiege Xi Yin and Xi Yin.
More than 50,000 Jurchen elites led by Yin Shuke were defeated and fled.
In the past few years since the popularity of artillery, the pattern of warfare has begun to change. In the past, infantry formed square formations so that soldiers could not escape during the confrontation. When artillery was able to attack in groups, this style of fighting was curbed, and small
The importance of large-scale elite troops began to be highlighted. Among the Wu Dynasty's armies, except for Han Shizhong's Zhenhai Army and Yue Fei's Beiwei Army, there were not many soldiers who could brave the artillery fire in an upright field battle. Most of the troops only had registered soldiers.
When the ground is favorable for defense, you can still use some of your combat power.
However, the army under Lu Haifeng was not so unbearable. The troops directly under his command were also one of the new armies trained under Junwu's care after moving south. Lu Haifeng's military management was rigorous, so that he could withstand all kinds of harsh weather.
, terrain training, such as heavy snow and heavy rain, allows soldiers to advance and fight in the mud in the south of the Yangtze River. The soldiers under his command also have a completely different appearance compared to the old soldiers of the Wu Dynasty.
Since the arrival of Jurchen elites led by Xi Yin and Yin Shuke, the situation on the battlefield in Jiangnan has become more intense and tense. There are rumors in the capital - including all over the world - that the Eastern and Western armies have given up their previous suspicions and are determined to annihilate them in one fell swoop.
.This manifestation of firm will, coupled with Xi Yin and various spies causing trouble in the capital, made the situation in Wu Dynasty extremely tense.
Before that, some people might have pinned their hopes on the conflict between the Jurchen and Eastern courts and made some articles about it. But by now, in the capital, I don’t know how many people were already lobbying all parties or finding solutions for themselves.
There was no way out. Under such a situation, and out of confidence in his own military management, Lu Haifeng launched an attack on Xi Yin and Yin Shuke's troops.
This large-scale attack was also carried out with the approval of the leadership headed by Jun Wu. Compared with the inevitable long-term task of defeating Zongfu's army head-on, if it can defeat the army that has traveled a long distance, there will be certain problems with logistical supplies.
, and the elite of the former West Route Army, who are likely to have a rift with Zong Fu Zong Bi, will surely be able to resolve the crisis in the capital.
Of course, it is not easy to defeat the elite troops led by the world-famous Xi Yin and Yin Shuke, but if you don't even dare to attack, the so-called ten years of military training will be nothing more than a joke at this point. On the other hand,
, even if Xi Yin and Yin Shu cannot be defeated in one go, they can attack again and again with two, three... three hundred thousand, five hundred thousand, or even millions of troops, and they will definitely be able to grind the opponent to death like a water mill.
.And before that, the entire Jiangnan army must be determined to dare to fight.
The attack was carried out on a rainy day, and the late spring cold continued. An army of 200,000 people challenged the opponent in the bone-chilling rain. Such weather wiped out the power of all firearms. Lu Haifeng led an army of 60,000 people as the vanguard.
, facing the 30,000 Tushan Guards who bravely fought.
In the pouring rain, even the arrows lost their power. The armies of both sides were pulled back to the simplest fighting rules. The phalanx of spears, swords and shields spread like a tide under the dark sky, and the Wu Dynasty side
The 200,000 troops seemed to cover the entire land, and their shouts even overwhelmed the thunder in the sky. The Tushan Guards led by Xi Yin faced them boldly, and the two sides collided together in the muddy water.
In a sense, if the Wu Dynasty army ten years ago could have had Lu Haifeng's determination and quality in running the army, the Battle of Bianliang would have been different. But even so, it does not mean that the current battle
The Wu Dynasty's army had the quality of being the best in the world, and the Tushan Guards who had been following Zong Han all year round still had the generosity of the Jurchens' "invincible" morale back then.
After an hour of head-on confrontation and fighting, Lu Haifeng's army was defeated. Half a day later, the entire battlefield was in the shape of a rolled-up bead curtain. Tushan Guards and Yin Shuke's troops chased the Wu Dynasty's defeated troops for more than ten miles, killing and injuring Lu.
Haifeng was unwilling to retreat during the battle, and eventually led his team to charge, but had one of his hands cut off, and had to be rescued by his own bodyguards to survive.
If we say that in this tragic battle, Xi Yin's side still showed no less bravery than before, but the Wu Dynasty people's deadly battle still brought a lot of things.
On the nineteenth day, as the number of casualties came out, Yin Shuke's face was not good-looking. When he saw Xi Yin, he said: "As Gushen said, this young prince's determination is not light. If the Wu Dynasty army is like this every time
Be resolute, it won’t be long before we really need to go back.”
Xi Yin's eyes were serious and calm: "A dying rabbit can also bite people. In such a huge Wu Dynasty, there will always be some people like this. This battle will make it easier for others to make fuss."
On the 20th, Jun Wu, who was in the Zhenjiang camp, affirmed and encouraged Lu Haifeng's deadly battle, and asked the court for credit, and wanted to confer a title on Lu Haifeng and promote him to one level.
"In front of us is the strongest and most ferocious army in the world. It's not shameful to lose to them! I'm not afraid! They destroyed the Liao Kingdom and swallowed up the Central Plains. Our Wu Dynasty fell and our people were enslaved by them! Now he
Fifty thousand people dare to come to Jiangnan! I am not afraid of losing, and I am not afraid of you losing the battle! From today on, I want you to risk everything to fight! If necessary, we will fight every day, I will kill them, I will let them
None of the 50,000 of them can return to the Kingdom of Jin. All of you who went into battle, I will take credit for you——"
Jun Wu's statement will spread throughout Jiangnan soon. At the same time, Yue Fei defeated the 130,000 Han army led by Li Yangzong near Taiping Prefecture, and captured more than 60,000 Han soldiers. In addition to killing many people he had committed in the massacre,
In addition to some of the "chief culprits" of the murder, Yue Fei proposed to the court that he should surrender the Han army and only punish the culprits, leaving the past behind.
The two sides were fighting fiercely, and some Central Plains Han troops had committed heavy blood debts in the Jiangnan massacre. At this time, they proposed such a suggestion, which immediately aroused complex internal discussions. In Lin'an City, Liu Yan, the Minister of War, and others directly wrote a letter to impeach Yue Fei. But these
Although the Han army in the Central Plains was extremely ferocious after arriving in Jiangnan, in fact, they were not determined in their fighting spirit. Over the years, the Central Plains had been devastated, and even as a soldier, life was extremely poor. It is conceivable that if the Jiangnan side could forget the blame and even give them a full meal, it would be conceivable
, most of the Han army will surrender.
Soon after, in response to Yue Fei's proposal, Jun Wu adopted and expressed his stance, recruiting and surrendering Han troops on the battlefield who were willing to return south. As long as the blood debt of massacre had not been committed before, all past events could be forgotten.
At the same time, in response to Xi Yin's "peace negotiation" request to the Wu Dynasty, before the end of February, a corresponding news came from the southwest. With deliberate promotion, it joined the boiling sound in Jiangnan...
In Jiangning, the sky in the field of vision was shrouded in layers of green clouds. Wu Qilong and the prefect's master Liu Jing took their seats in the noisy teahouse. Soon after, they heard the voices of discussions next to them.
"...Speaking of the current situation outside, our prince is really tough. Anyone would give a thumbs up...Although General Lu was defeated, our people are not afraid. I heard that,
Changzhou has now mobilized more than 100,000 people to encircle Xiyin with the Zhenjiang army... We are not afraid of defeat, what we are afraid of is that those golden dogs can come back alive..."
"...There are also fierce killings in the green forest. You don't know that the Jin people fished in troubled waters and killed many people secretly. I heard that half a month ago, there were several firefights in Xuanzhou and hundreds of people were killed. Song Dakun of the Song family was the local gangster over there.
The whole family was slaughtered, and a hoeing document was left behind, but in fact, this thing was done by the Jurchens' lackeys... Later, Mr. Fulu led people to intercept and kill the golden dog. This matter is absolutely true, Xuanzhou
In that area, many people died in the past few days..."
"...Actually, when it comes to who really deserves to be killed, we have to look at the southwest. I heard that at the end of January, the southwest released a list. Whoever commits evil will be clearly identified. Changsha
In the Huang family, there used to be Huang Shichu, who served as Minister of the Ministry of Civil Affairs for two years. While he was in office, he made a lot of money. Although he was dismissed later, he made countless gang members during those years, and even gave his daughter to his daughter in these years.
The real person delivers the intelligence and privately persuades everyone to surrender. His whole family is a bastard..."
"... He has countless fertile fields in Changsha, and his family has thousands of servants and followers. He is truly a local hegemon. As soon as the southwest hoeing order came out, he knew something was wrong. He heard that he set up a dragnet at home and was on guard day and night. But by the end of January,
The Black Flag Army came, more than a hundred people... Let me tell you, that night, as soon as the rape order came out, everything was in chaos, and they couldn't even hold on until the army came..."
Everyone in the teahouse gathered together, and the speaker lowered his voice as if he was talking about a big secret. Everyone also talked in the same voice.
"...Speaking of which, although the guy from the southwest is rebellious, he is really a good guy when it comes to these things. You all know that Xiyin, that beast, previously tried to persuade us to surrender, asking us to cede everything from the west of Xiangyang to the fourth part of Sichuan.
For Nianhan to go to Chengdu to fight against the Black Flag Army, hey, it didn't take long for Southwest to know about it. I heard that just a few days ago, Mr. Ning wrote a letter directly to Nianhan, saying: I'm waiting for you to come.
You will be buried here from now on. Tsk tsk..."
"...If these two were to fight, I really don't know what the intensity would be..."
In the midst of the discussion, Liu Jing smiled at Wu Qilong: "Tell me, are there any black flag people among them?"
"It's hard to tell." Wu Qilong held the tea cup, smiled and shook his head.
Jiangning is the birthplace of the demon Ning Yi, and it is also the former residence of King Kang Zhou Yong. In the past, Jiangning people kept a secret about the demons in the southwest, but at the beginning of this year, Zongfu crossed the river to attack Jiangning.
It has been nearly two months now, and the residents in the city have a different perception of this rebellious man. They often hear people mention him. After all, in today's world, who can really stand in front of the Jurchens?
The ones who can stand up are probably the extremely vicious gangs in the southwest. Ning Yi, who was born in Jiangning, and other heroic people are often used to boost morale.
Also mentioned here are Princess Chengguo and her husband Kang Xian who died in the previous fall of Jiangning.
"I heard that Brother Wu had an old relationship with Ning Yi earlier? I wonder if he is different from what these people said?" Master Liu Jing came from other places. In the past, he was a little taboo about mentioning Ning Yi. At this time
Just then he asked. Wu Qilong was silent for a moment and looked at a table and chairs by the window.
"If you are targeted by him, you will definitely want to peel off your skin."
"Oh? Brother Wu has been targeted?"
"He married a cloth merchant, and I am also a cloth merchant. We had some quarrels, but fortunately it was not to the point of life and death." Wu Qilong smiled, "Most of our belongings have been lost."
When he said this, Liu Jing frowned and became interested. He asked again and again, and Wu Qilong also recalled and talked about the Huangshang incident back then. At that time, he found the dispute between the two families.
The Su family's ambitious shopkeeper Xi Junyu cooperated, and later the assassination of Su Boyong broke out. Thinking about it now, it's hard not to sigh, but in the context of this war that overturned the world, these things have also changed.
It has to be interesting.
"Actually, now that I think about it, Xi Junyu was too ambitious. Some of the things he did were beyond my imagination. And if my family hadn't just been looking for money and not fully participated in it, I'm afraid we wouldn't have been able to get rid of half of the property later..."
"Then...how did you get half of the belongings?" Liu Jing asked expectantly.
Wu Qilong continued to talk about the incident of the Huangshang, took the formula, and seized the Huangshang. He was so angry that Ning Liheng wrote a poem: "The white prime minister knows that he still presses his sword, and the sage of the Zhu family laughs and flicks his crown":
"...Then one day, the cloth faded."
When Liu Jing said this, he was slightly startled, and then he said with a sudden look on his face: "... Cruel, how will I deal with you later?"
"...Then one day, he was reading a book in this teahouse, right over there. I went over to say hello and test his reaction. He was absent-minded, but then he suddenly reacted and looked at me and said:
'Oh, the cloth has faded...' At that time...well, Brother Liu could imagine...wanted to kill him..."
The two of them looked at the window over there. The sky was gloomy and it seemed like it was about to rain. Sitting there now were two thin men drinking tea. Wu Qilong, who had uneven white hair and an elegant demeanor, seemed to be able to see more than ten years.
On the afternoon before, there was bright sunshine outside the window, and Ning Yi was flipping through the pages of a book. After that, the Wu family was mutilated.
At that time, Wu Qilong was in his early thirties and encountered the biggest setback in his life. The Wu family was demoted from the position of Jiangning's number one cloth merchant and almost collapsed. But not long after, Ning Yi, who also went north, joined forces with Jiangning's family.
The businessman began to develop in the capital, and later he was engaged in disaster relief. He came into contact with the power of the Qin family, and later he was appreciated by Princess Chengguo and Kang Xian. After all, they were both from Jiangning, and Kang Xian took good care of the Wu family.
At the beginning of the third year of Jian Shuo, Wu Shu defeated Jiangning. The old man refused to abandon Jiangning, where he had lived almost all his life, and died when the army entered the city. The Chengguo Princess Mansion was subsequently burned to the ground. Soon after, Wu Qilong took his family with him
He returned to Jiangning and rebuilt the Wu family. Later, he led the Wu family to take over most of the military uniform business of the imperial court. When the Jurchens went south, he donated most of his family wealth to support the army. Today, the Wu family's wealth is still several times higher than it was back then.
So many.
Of course, he didn't need to talk to Liu Jing about many of the things in between, but thinking about it now, time seemed to be passing by in front of his eyes. Compared to now, it was still more peaceful then.
Even Ning Yi, who is now in the southwest and can compete with the world, probably misses the time when he was studying here even more.
Wu Qilong thought so.
Not long after, there was a huge vibration from the other side of the city wall, followed by chaotic and violent sounds...